At the time of his tragic death on Sept. 2, 2015, Isaiah was a sophomore at Colorado State University-Pueblo and a noted mariachi musician.

"Since Isaiah was a child, we as parents stressed education," said his father Robert Cordova. "To deal with our anger and sadness over his senseless murder, we wanted to begin a legacy for a great young man. His memory is very important to our family, so we feel there's no better way to celebrate his memory with education scholarships."

The Isaiah Vialpando Vicla Run — "vicla" is Spanish slang for "bike" or "motorcycle" — was founded and named due to Isaiah’s love for all types of automobiles and motorcycles. The inspiration for an annual run came from Susan and Ron Madril, who honor their brother Spyder through a similar event.

"Our first year, in 2017, was more just a memorial run for Isaiah's memory, with 40 in attendance," Cordova said. "The next year, we thought about the idea of riding for educational scholarships. This idea came from Manuel Arellano, a Pueblo native who founded the Chicano Pride Ride in Denver. We put the word out and approximately 100 bikers showed up.

"We raised several thousand dollars for a few scholarships but learned how difficult it is to organize a motorcycle run. But this year was more successful, with special thanks to our committee members Ken Chavez, Susan Durga and Billy Leyba. They have been involved in local motorcycle runs in Pueblo for many years."

With the committee's direction, and through support from family and friends, the run was attended by 200 riders and generated enough funds to award the 14 scholarships.

"We began at Romero’s Restaurant/Cafe, as Robert and Mike Romero are always gracious and have been 100% involved in keeping Isaiah’s memory alive since his death," Cordova said. "Robert donated burritos for riders. Special thanks to Tia Ester García for preparing the traditional Mexican food plates, Captains Mora and Bryant with the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office assisted us in blocking traffic for a safe passage to begin our ride.

"We were honored and humbled so many riders came from as far as New Mexico, Denver, La Junta, Trinidad and Walsenburg. And a special thanks to the motorcycle clubs who brought their riders."

jpompia@chieftain.com

Twitter: @jpompia

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